Relatives of 22-year-old Kazakh citizen Ernur Almakhan, who went to Dubai for work and was sentenced to life imprisonment under mysterious circumstances, have asked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help. According to them, there is no news from Ernur now.
Photocollage: ulysmedia.kz
Relatives of 22-year-old Kazakh citizen Ernur Almakhan, who went to Dubai for work and was sentenced to life imprisonment under mysterious circumstances, have asked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help. According to them, there is no news from Ernur now. It is also unknown what charges he was convicted of, reports the news portal Todayinfo.kz citing ulysmedia.kz.
Ernur went to Dubai for work in September 2024. Before that, he worked as a bartender at one of the cafes in Almaty. According to his mother Nurgul Almakhanova, her son initially called frequently and told her where he was. But later the connection was lost. The last time he called from a pre-trial detention center in Dubai, he said, "I am innocent, I will be acquitted." But he did not say what he was accused of.
– Two or three days ago a piece of paper arrived. It said: 'Life imprisonment.' I don't think my son is capable of such an act. My son is very kind, very gentle, – says Nurgul Almakhanova.
She learned that her son had been sentenced to life imprisonment from a letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. According to her, before that she had complained to the MFA asking to find out Ernur's situation.
– According to unofficial information available at the Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on March 18, 2026, a decision was issued by the court of first instance of the United Arab Emirates regarding citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ernur Almakhan. In accordance with this decision, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, and together with other persons in the case, he is obliged to pay a fine in the amount of 2,540,000 UAE dirhams (two million five hundred forty thousand dirhams). This amount is recognized as the object of the offense, – the response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
To obtain official information about the verdict, the Kazakh Embassy in the UAE sent a corresponding note to the authorized bodies on March 31. According to the MFA response, an appeal was filed in the case of Ernur Almakhan on April 1. Its consideration is scheduled for April 27.
– Currently, the trial is ongoing and the final decision in the case has not entered into legal force. Regarding the issue of serving the sentence in the Republic of Kazakhstan, we inform you that the transfer of convicted persons is possible only after the full completion of the trial and the entry into force of the relevant decision, subject to all international legal procedures, – the MFA response said.
Official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yerlan Zhetibayev told Ulysmedia correspondent that he would "check the information" regarding the situation of Ernur Almakhan.
Lawyer Inga Imanbay expressed dissatisfaction that the response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan did not specify under which article Ernur Almakhan was charged. She demanded intervention from the MFA and Kazakh authorities.
– We want to make a specific demand to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We ask to obtain accurate, correct information about a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan and to intervene. We ask to contribute to the full protection of the rights of a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the international level. We ask to ensure a fair and comprehensive consideration of the case. We ask to ensure transparency of the case regarding Ernur Almakhan. We ask to consider the issue of serving the sentence in Kazakhstan or extradition, – she says.
Inga Imanbay plans to file complaints with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Administration in the near future.
Source:
ulysmedia.kz
